How Fairy Tales Begin
by lilithtorch2
Summary: "He doesn't know why he just did that. But she smiles back at him and waves as she goes, and he allows himself a small measure of hope. After all, that's how fairy tales begin." Set after "I Will Always Find You," Natasha Romanoff and James Barnes rekindle their relationship. Read w/ Head Automatica-"Beating Heart Baby." James/Natasha, Bucky/Natasha, Winter Soldier/Black Widow
1. Prologue

*****A/N: Sequel to "I Will Always Find You." This chapter was originally "System Restart," I modified that story to fit into the "I Will Always Find You" timeline better. Again, I still don't like the way Chuck ended, but I have to admit that it was a very well-done episode. Figuring out the title for this story was hard. I've finally settled on "How Fairy Tales Begin."*****

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He only remembers that he was the Winter Soldier and someone named James. He wants to kill whoever did this to him, whoever made him forget Natalia.

But here he is, sitting atop a building, resisting all his murderous rages, because he promised her that he would wait for her here.

"I'm glad you're here." He turns around and sees the redhead walking up to him.

"I don't remember anything except something you told me."

"Yeah?" she asks, curious.

"You told me you would always find me," he admits.

_I will always find you._

_I will always find you._

_I will always find you._

He keeps repeating it to himself, hearing it, playing with it, touching it.

Sadly, he is no longer Bucky Barnes or James the Winter Soldier. After working with a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychologist to accept what happened to him, he only remembers vividly one scene that feels like its his to keep: the redheaded woman, who he now knows is Natalia, who always chased after him. He would push her away and leap off tall buildings, only for her to come after him anyway. He did escape that one time, because S.H.I.E.L.D. had caught up to them both, but after that she would always find him. Steal the Tessaract, the Russians told him, and there she was again, preventing him from doing it. We need you in New York City, and she followed him there too. They asked him to kill the traitor, and he found out it was the same woman again. And that time he didn't kill her either. She had been someone important to him, someone he had pushed away to keep safe.

And yet she's still here.

She sighed. "I don't want anything from you. I just need you to know that wherever you go, I will always be there to help you, okay? I'll always be here for you." She didn't know what he was going to do, but she didn't want to tether him to a place he didn't want to stay in either. What else can you do when the love of your life just doesn't remember you at all? She was just relieved he had escaped from Soviet Russia.

But for the Winter Soldier, Natalia was his anchor, a connection to a story he wanted to listen to.

"Natalia... start from the beginning."

And she does.

It started with a Black Widow and a Winter Soldier.

And then, against all odds, they fell in love.


	2. How Fairy Tales Begin

The warmth in Natasha Romanoff/Natalia Romanova's voice as she recounted her version of the tale of the Winter Soldier and his Black Widow persuaded James Buchanan Barnes to remain with her in S.H.I.E.L.D. He knows of three different sets of memories, each of them incomplete. The first set belongs to Bucky Barnes: there are always women in those memories, but there is also a brother and a childhood best friend named Steve Rogers. The second set belongs to the Winter Soldier: there is blood and killing, but there is also a beam of light, a princess who bears a resemblance to Natalia.

When James retrieves these memories from the files in his mind, it is like watching television. He knows how the plot has developed so far, but he's really only a member of the audience.

But now the third set of memories is an empty jar for him to fill. This is his to keep, because he is personally directing the story. And he fills it with orbs containing his new memories of Steve and Natasha, accepting them as two of his closest friends.

When Natalia concluded her tale, she warned James about "needing to get things sorted," and hugged him tightly, assuring him that she would return. He admitted to her that he needed time, as well, to figure out where the Winter Soldier's and Bucky Barnes's chapters end and where James Buchanan Barnes's life begins. Before she turns to leave, he pulls her close and kisses her as if to say, _See you later._

He doesn't know why he just did that.

But she smiles back at him and waves as she goes, and he allows himself a small measure of hope.

After all, that's how fairy tales begin.


	3. Reminisce

*****A/N: What always fascinated me was how many people seem to have a type. Our relationships and crushes don't always look like they fit a certain 'type' at first, but if you look carefully enough, something is the same...*****

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While Natalia - or is it Natasha now? He can't decide - is away and his nightmares haven't returned, James uses this time to get reacquainted with Bucky's best friend and brother, Steve Rogers. They go to visit the new New York City, which is completely different from the New York City inside the memories of Bucky Barnes. As they do so, Steve hurries through the last time he saw Bucky, the moment when Bucky fell from the train. They reminisce about whatever memory that James can actually recall (which is not much) and James listens on as Steve talks about their shared childhood and dreams.

Steve discusses the women in Bucky's life and, subtly acknowledging the complicated relationship between the Winter Soldier and Natalia Romanova, remarks to James that of all the women who went in and out of Bucky's life, Bucky always did seem to favor redheads most. After all, his first real relationship, albeit short-lived, had been with a pretty girl named Jenny who also happened to be a redhead. He talks about the World Fair (Bucky probably wouldn't have remembered anything from the Fair anyway, as he was too busy flirting with women) and mentions how it's weird that he and Bucky are now in the future. Who'd have thought that could actually happen? As Steve talks about Bucky, James realizes that there was a point in time where he did have a family and had been truly happy; there had been a life beyond the killing and the death.

Steve also gives James updates on acquaintances and friends. Peggy Carter is now a retired officer with the Strategic Scientific Reserve and has a granddaughter named Sharon. Howard Stark passed away, but he left behind a son, a "great bundle of fun" (this said sarcastically) named Tony. There is so much he missed out on, James realizes. They avoid discussing for the most part anything that James can remember of his life as the Winter Soldier, but Steve is curious about his relationship with Natasha.

"How did you meet her, anyway?" Steve asks curiously. "She wouldn't tell me anything."

"Long story," he responds, referring to the Winter Soldier's memories.

He doesn't tell Steve that in the moment Natalia-Natasha took the bullet from him, James had made the decision to follow her no matter where she went, no matter who she ended up with. James feels it would be ridiculous to tell Steve that he thinks of Natasha as his sweet princess.

Besides, he still needs to keep his pride.


	4. The Bracelets

*****A/N: Whoops, I think I uploaded the wrong file to this chapter. What you're reading right now is the correct file.  
**

** This gets confusing, so let's review all the names again:**

**Bucky - The one that knew Steve prior to falling down into the icy waters below.**

**Winter Soldier - The one that only remembers Natalia Romanova.**

**James - The persona that developed after Natasha Romanoff retrieved him from Soviet Russia. Knows he used to be Bucky and the Winter Soldier, but he doesn't identify himself as either one. He's just James now.**

**Natalia Romanova - The name of Natasha Romanoff during her time in Russia.**

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As James and Steve walk along the streets of NYC, a small pair of rope braided bracelets hanging innocently on the jewelry stand of a street vendor catches James's eye. Actually, they also caught the eyes of two personas from James's forgotten past, Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier, who are still buried inside his mind. With quiet and encoded whispers, they persuade James to stop whatever he is doing and walk to the jewelry stand to examine the bracelets. As James unknowingly does as he is told, he fingers the objects thoughtfully. _There is no time for worrying_, Bucky Barnes urges him. _There is another girl to pursue again._ As for the Winter Soldier himself, he knows that this is a present his Natalia would have appreciated. James, unaware that the shadows from his past are influencing him, tries to think rationally about this chance he is taking. It's probably been years since Natalia/Natasha last saw him. Even though she did come back for him (and he is grateful for this), he can infer from the archer's words during their fight that she might have moved on, and just as well. She had every right to. Again, Bucky Barnes tries to reach through to James and say, _Well, the worst that can happen is that she rejects you, right?_

When James fingers the bracelets slowly, the voices from his past tell him in urgent whispers to take the gift. Whether James knew it or not, he was still just like Bucky: redheads were indeed his one great weakness in life, and Bucky would have taken extra care to do everything that was foolish in the world for the attentions of just such a beautiful girl, and the Winter Soldier himself would have impulsively killed everyone else in the Red Room just so Natalia could keep the present.

Steve observes James carefully examining the bracelets, and swears to himself that he just saw a glimpse of Bucky in the other man's expression. Maybe James still remembered something, after all. Regardless of what this would mean for Natasha and Clint, Steve recognizes that his brother still harbors undiscovered feelings for yet another fiery redhead. But whatever is going on with James, he figures that even Bucky would have approved of Natasha. He almost calls the other man "Bucky" before he corrects himself.

"James," Steve calls to the man, indicating the bracelets, "you want me to buy that for you?"

James simply nods.


End file.
